Monkeypox Patients Report Excruciating Pain and Lack of Guidance as U.S. Cases Mount

Some people say they were declined testing before being hospitalized with pain and high fever.

Taber Feltner, a research associate in Iowa City, Iowa, said he noticed some worrying symptoms in mid-July, a few days after returning home from a trip to Chicago.

A rash developed in his groin, which he initially brushed off as ingrown hairs. But within a few days, he developed a fever of over 103 degrees Fahrenheit and the rash transformed into painful, pus-filled lesions.

Patients said they are navigating the outbreak without sufficient guidance from physicians and public-health officials on how to treat the disease and prevent its spread. Mr. Feltner said he wasn’t able to get vaccinated before travel because Iowa gave priority to people who had been exposed to monkeypox. He said he was mocked by healthcare providers when he attempted to seek care and struggled to find adequate expert information about the disease. He said he has relied on social media and the anecdotal accounts of other patients to fill the gaps.

Public-health experts and community advocates said the Biden administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were too slow at responding to the outbreak when it first emerged and continue to take insufficient action to stem the spread of the virus.